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Friday, August 3, 2012

Don't Miss Your Miracle...

I have officially been an Alpha Delta Pi employee for almost a month now. Training has begun, and has flown by. I have gone to Atlanta for Leadership Seminar, home, and back again. I have met amazing leaders; women of gifts and talents.

While I still cannot believe I am here - and have so much to share concerning this amazing opportunity, a post about LS or my time spent at Memorial Headquarters just doesn't seem quite right as the official "kick off" to this journey.

Instead, I'd like to share a story that means a lot to me.

In 2 Kings 5, we learn the story of Naaman. Naaman was the commander of the Syrian army. He was rich and well respected and all those around him knew who he was - he has been successful in battle many times. While very successful, Naaman was a man like any other - not immune to the discomforts or sickness of the earth. Naaman suffered from leprosy.

Now, what does this have to do with being a sorority woman, you might ask. Just stay with me.

Naaman has exhausted his resources and there was no hope in sight. Just then, a slave - a young Israelite who had been captured in battle - told her mistress that Naaman should go to Samaria to visit a prophet who would surly be able to cure him.

Desperate, Naaman and his men set off.

Naaman went to the prophet, Elisha. Elisha, too, was a well-known and important man. But Naaman arrived, Elisha did not answer the door, but instead sent a servant. The servant told Naaman to go to the Jordan River and wash himself seven times, and that upon the seventh wash, his skin would be healed.

In a rage, Naaman shouts to the Lord. Angry that he was greeted by a servant instead of the important man he had traveled to see. While in fits of shouting, one of his own servants who accompanied him from Damascus, came to him and said - "Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something difficult, you would have done it. Now why can't you just wash yourself, as he said and be cured?" 2 Kings 13

Naaman went down to the Jordan river, and did as his servant suggested, and washed his body. Sure enough, upon the seventh time washing his body, his skin became anew - his leprosy washed away and new clean skin exposed. Naaman was healed.

Now, if you're still with me, I share this story for a few reasons.

In some of the most difficult times in my life - this story has served to remind me: don't miss your miracle.

Naaman was strong and proud - as we can all be, far too often. Yet, with all his wealth and all his fame, his saving grace came from those most unlike him: the three servants. It was the poor, and the captured, and the tired, together that gave way to his miracle.

And this is related to sorority how?!

In our organization, and in our life, we will meet many people. We will share each path of our life with others. When we are closed off, or judgmental, when we exclude others. We just might be missing our miracle.

People come into our lives for a reason. Everyone of us is brought together for a purpose. When we disallow relationships to cultivate - personal, friendships, professional - we might be missing our miracle. We might be closing ourselves off to the person who was meant to give us something, to teach us something, to tell us something, to guide us to our miracle.

When we only look to interact with those who look like us, and act like us, and dress like us, we may be closing ourselves to the chance of a lifetime.

To the sisters with whom I have already shared this with, I hope you always remember what a blessing and miracle you all have been to me. And as this year begins, I hope that I too can continue to learn what it means to open myself up to others and to allow those I meet to teach me, just as I hope to teach them.